Flickering signal light for trucks, etc.



Aug. 17, 1937. w. v. ONEIL FLICKERING'SIGNAL LIGHT FOR TRUCKS, ETC

Filed Oct. 4, 1955 mw/wm Attorney Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE momma SIGNAL uori'r Foa mocks. are.

Application October 4. 1935, Serial No. 43,528

2 Claims.

spersecl with the green'signal lamps and a sepa rate group of high-power red danger signals at the front and the rear of the vehicle. A further purpose of my invention is to utilize one or more groups of the green lights that are lit during the normal progress of the vehicle but which lights are automatically put out of commission whenever the emergency brake .is operated, or the foot brake is depressed, or the speed of the vehicle is being reduced preparatory to stopping; that also provides a group of green lights alongside of the vehicle which are .not under automatic control; that also provides one or more groups of low power red danger signal lamps which are always flickering, whenever the main switch from the battery is closed and as stated above in addition one or more groups. of high power red danger signal lamps that automatically come into operation only when the vehicle comes to a full stop and is standing stillandwhich are out of commission as soon as the vehicle moves. Another purpose of my invention is to provide automatic thermostatic or other means for intermittently turning on and off the lights of the different groups, so as to immediately attract attention to the existence of a driving hazard; that may cause the red and the green lights to flicker alternately, or if desired that may cause the red and green lights to flicker simultaneously.

This is a continuation in part of Serial No.

686,690, filed August 25, 1933.

With these and other ends in view I illustrate in the accompanying drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad features of' the invention without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view-showing the location of similar groups of signal lamps at the front, side and at the rear of a truck or other vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the interrelated circuits for automatically and alternatel controlling the signalling lamps.

Fig. 3 is a detached diagrammatic view further showing the relation of the thermostatic flickering control. I

In the use of my safety system I may employ whatever equivalent or alternative means that the exigencies of varying conditions may demand without departing from the broad spirit of the invention.

In the rapidly increasing number of trucks, busses, etc., which traverse the highways, the hazard to following or approaching traflic is a growing one. This is especially the case when such vehicles are stopping on the shoulders or berm of the pavement and it is more especially hazardous when the vehicle of this or other type slows up and stops, or simply slows up, while still for the most part, on the pavement. Many fatal accidents have and are occurring through .the neglect of truck-drivers in not having the vehicle equipped with driving and danger signals. When steadily active green lights are used which do not flicker or similar lights of any other color are used, there is no adequate warning associated with the presence of the lights to the driver who is following such a vehicle.

With-my safety system there is a constant I interruption of the lamps at' whatever rate that may be desired, of a group of green lamps and a separate group of red lamps on separate circuits arranged to flicker alternately. By this arrangement the intermittently active lamps will attract attention to the danger that such vehicles impose upon general highway trafic and the use of my safety signalling system will prevent a repetition of the harrowing accidents so numerously reported in the public press.

It is not sufficient that means have been used for flickering the ordinary tail lights of the ve- ,hicle, which flickering, when the vehicle has stopped does not continue. Such provisions are 'clearly ineffective to guard against the everpresent menace of inefflciently illuminated trucks, etc., for warning purposes to other trafiic on the highway. The questionable practice of using kerosene lanterns on trucks is entirely eliminated.

A truck while running should have two separate groups of lamps, one group red and the other group green, both groups subject to continuous flickering in alternating or simultaneous sequence. In case the vehicle slows up' without using the foot brake both groups of lamps will continue to flicker. If on the other hand in slowing up, the foot brake is momentarily used to retard the movement of the vehicle, the green lamps are, through the movement of the foot brake, cut oil and only the red lights will continue to flicker. When the vehicle is stopped entirely, and though the engine continues to idle, a speed governor connected to the drive shaft will in addition cut in the high power red lights and leave the green lights inactive. The cautionary green lamps alongside of the truck adjacent to passing trafiic may not, as stated above, be under automatic control. In starting the truck the brakes are taken off thus reconnecting the green signalling group:

The present hazards due to trucks etc., stopping partially on or alongside of traffic lanes for repairs etc., are recognized because state highway commissions are promulgatingrules that trucks must, on stopping, place a gasoline or other flare a certain distance forward of and to the rear of the vehicle and also place red warning flags as a caution notice to oncoming traffic. The efliciency of this practice depends on the. personal equation of the driver. If for any reason the driver is derelict the menace remains, in fact, it takes time for the driver to light his flares and place them on the roadway. Within this time a most serious accident may happen. For this reason my automatic system overcomes the hazard and provides safety against impending catastrophes.

If desired, to eliminate the factor of forgetfulness on the part of the driver in not turning on the signalling lamps on the .approach of darkness, I may under certain color compensations, usea photo-electric cell that with a suitable amphfication and a cooperating relay, automatically,

put all the signal lamps in circuit with the bat-- tery as an accessory to the switch It.

In order to take every precaution, I am making the emergency brake, the foot brake and a centrifugal governor operated by the transmission shaft of the vehicle, to be interconnected for cooperative control of the signals.

40 The truck I or other vehicle is provided at its automatic control.

rear end with medium power red warning lamps 2. In addition high power red lamps 3 are also in this group and separate green cautionary lamps 4 are included. A similar group of lamps 2, 3 and 4 is placed at the front of the truck. Alongside of the truck green lamps 5 for cautionary purposes are placed. These are not under The lamps are all supplied with current from the battery 6. The red medium power lamps 2 are in the circuit 1 and the automatically controlled green lamps 4 are-in circuit 8, while the high power red warning lamps 3 are in circuit IS. The flickering of the lamps is produced by a thermostatic control 9. The nonautomatic green lamps 5 are in circuit l0, while the foot brake 26 is in circuit H and the emergency brake 21 is in series on circuit 28. A photo-electric tube l2, if used, is connected with an amplifier l3 and a relay H.

A hand switch It puts the automatic control for all the red and green lamps 2 .and 4 into circuit and a separate hand switch I! will put the non-flickering green lamps 5 in operation.

The thermostat 9 has its automatic control contact l8, which on the alternate heating and contraction of its parts, will in recurring sequence place the red lamps 2 and 3 in circuit with the battery 6 through contact 20 and alternately the green lamps 4 will be put into circuit by the contact IS.

The centrifugal governor control25 instanced in Fig. 2, comprises a drive 23 from the transmission 24 or other connection. This may be of any desired type such as a belt or a gear drive. The governor balls are connected to a sliding disk 2|, which, when the vehicle stops, makes contact at 22 with the circuit IS in which are included the high power red warning lamps I. As long as the vehicle stops the contact 29 of the green lamps circuit 8 is disconnected from the disk 2|. When the vehicle is in motion the disk- 2l engages the contact 29 and it is disconnected from the contact 22.

What I claim is:

1. In a signalling system in combination with a vehicle susceptible of movement and having means for stopping the vehicle as desired, a group of low power signal lamps, a separate group of high power danger signal lamps, both groups being located on the vehicle so as to be visible to following passing and oncoming traflic, a source of current and' electrical circuits for the lamps, means for maintaining the high power lamp circuit disconnected from the source of current while the vehicle is moving above a predetermined speed, means for connecting the circuits of such lamps to the source of current when the speed of the vehicle drops below the predetermined value, and means for flickering both groups of lamps in sequence simultaneously or in alternate relation through the periodic interruption of the circuits in which said lamps are connected.

2. A signaling device in combination with a motor vehicle having means for retarding the movement of the vehicle, a group of low candle power red danger signal lamps, a second group of green signal lamps, all mounted externally on the vehicle, some of which are visible from the front and some from the rear, a source of current and electrical circuits for said lamps, current interrupting means between the lamps and said source of current normally operating for flashing said lamps, means for disconnecting the green lamps when the speed of the vehicle is being 'retarded without disconnecting the red lamps, a group of high candle power lamps, also mounted externally on the vehicle and in circuit with the source of current, means responsive to the stopping oi' the vehicle for automatically connecting the high candle power lamps to the source of current through said current interrupting means and disconnecting such lamps after the vehicle resumes its movement.

WILLIAM V. O'NEIL.

of the class described- 

